Bayer CropScience’s Huskie herbicide for sorghum receives EPA regsitration

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the use of Huskie herbicide for weed management in grain sorghum, grass grown for seed and on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres.

"Sorghum producers historically have had limited choices when it comes to weed control," said John McGregor, Bayer CropScience product manager for cereal herbicides. "So we're pleased to provide these growers with another choice. While Huskie (active ingredient: pyrasulfotole + bromoxynil) is a new choice for them, it has a history of proven success, having been used on wheat since 2008."

Huskie uses two modes of action to control tough broadleaf weeds, such as Palmer amaranth, tall waterhemp and kochia. The first mode of action inhibits an enzyme critical for plant pigmentation, resulting in the bleaching and rapid control of susceptible weeds. The second mode of action in Huskie blocks photosynthetic processes.

Weed control with dual modes of action is particularly important for growers to prevent or manage weed resistance to certain herbicide chemistries.

"Virtually all weed scientists will tell growers," McGregor said, "that one of the best ways to reduce the risk of weed resistance is to not rely on any one product or mode of action, but to combine more than one effective mode of action in an application."

Huskie typically will be applied in sorghum at 13 to 16 fl oz/A and can be applied with atrazine as needed.